Rabat – The Kingdom of Morocco, under the enlightened leadership of HM King Mohammed VI, has been engaged for two decades in a digitalization process, Minister Delegate in charge of National Defense Administration Abdeltif Loudiyi said Wednesday in Rabat, stressing the need for a safe and secure cyberspace to support the country’s digital transition and guarantee its digital sovereignty.

Speaking at the opening of the 5th edition of the “Cyber Security Conclave – Morocco” Seminar, Loudiyi said that Morocco, under the enlightened leadership of His Majesty the King, aims to accelerate the process of modernizing and digitizing its administrative, economic and societal structures, without losing sight of the need to establish a safe and secure cyberspace.

To achieve this goal, he stressed the need to take into account new technological developments such as Big Data and artificial intelligence, which offer significant data processing capabilities that can be used to further strengthen the protection of informati
on systems.

Since 2011, Morocco has been endeavoring to lay the foundations for an integrated and effective information security systems, he emphasized, noting that at organizational level, an appropriate institutional framework has been put in place, with the establishment of the General Directorate of Information Systems Security (DGSSI) as the national authority in charge of cybersecurity, the creation of the Strategic Committee on Cybersecurity and the establishment of a center for detection and response to cyberattacks.

To support this institutional framework, the Moroccan legislator has been keen to strengthen the Kingdom’s legal arsenal in the field of information systems security through the enacting of the law on cybersecurity and the publication of its application texts, added the Minister.

In view of the importance of the human element in the success of public policies as the first line of defense, Morocco has focused on developing the capabilities of human resources and raising their awareness
of cyber threats, through training courses and workshops, as well as the organization of simulation exercises for the various players in information systems security, in partnership with national and international organizations in this field.

In terms of international cooperation, several bilateral cooperation agreements have been signed with friendly and brotherly countries in the field of cybersecurity. In this respect, Morocco participates in and contributes to forums and initiatives launched by international and regional organizations aimed at establishing a framework for responsible behavior by States in cyberspace, as well as international coordination mechanisms in this field.

According to Loudiyi, the DGSSI is currently preparing the new version of the national cybersecurity strategy, which focuses on strengthening security and improving the resilience of cyberspace.

To this end, “we are called upon, government players and experts alike, to comb through the impact of the use of cloud computing serv
ices, which has become inescapable, and the ensuing consequences for the protection of sensitive information and digital sovereignty in the broadest sense,’ he added.

Furthermore, and “given the central role played by critical infrastructures, we must continue our efforts to improve and strengthen the resilience of information systems that support the vital functions of the State, by adopting an appropriate set of rules to immunize them against any potential cyber risk that could pose a threat to their business continuity,’ noted the Minister.

These issues and challenges call for concerted efforts to establish a secure cyberspace, and require all parties, including governments, the private sector and national and regional institutions, to make a serious and responsible commitment to the various regional, Arab and African initiatives aimed at strengthening cooperation and coordination, sharing information, exchanging expertise and developing skills in this field.

In terms of international cooperation, Moroc
co, proud of its African and Arab belonging, and in application of the High Royal Directives, attaches the necessary importance to cooperation programs and exchanges of expertise with Arab and African countries, as well as to the mobilization of its human resources available for these programs, he concluded.

Organized by the General Directorate of information systems security (DGSSI) under the national defense Administration, in partnership with the United Arab Emirates Cybersecurity Council, the two-day seminar brings together more than 350 public decision-makers, business leaders, cybersecurity managers and professionals to discuss, in particular, new techniques and postures used to counter cyberattacks, as well as the consolidation of digital sovereignty in light of technological advances such as AI, Big Data, Blockchain and IoT.

Source: Agency Morocaine De Presse

RAMALLAH: The Palestinian Digital Rights Coalition sent letters to Meta, X, Telegram, and TikTok regarding the proliferation of hate speech, dehumanization, and incitement to violence and genocide against the Palestinian people on their platforms.

On 26 January 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered provisional measures in the case of South Africa v. Israel, determining the plausibility that Israel is carrying out genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza. The Palestinian coalition documented the use of online platforms to incite genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, including by the highest levels of the Israeli leadership.

The ICJ order presents a necessity to address the urgent need for online platforms to fulfill their legal and moral responsibility in upholding human rights and preventing the dissemination of harmful content, including incitement to commit genocide, within their domains, said the coalition in a statement.

The coalition’s letter addressed the specific connection
between hate speech, incitement to violence, and genocidal remarks online, which help perpetuate further the unfolding devastation in Gaza.

Among other issues, the letter specifically called attention to the ICJ’s reference to UN Bodies expressing concern over ‘discernibly genocidal and dehumanizing rhetoric coming from senior Israeli government officials, as well as some professional groups and public figures.’

Many of these statements made by senior Israeli officials have been posted on social media platforms and companies continue to disseminate this type of harmful content on their platforms, read the statement.

‘While platforms always have a significant role and responsibility to ensure the combating of hate speech and incitement online, this responsibility becomes even more paramount when there’s plausibility of genocide. Online platforms have previously been implicated in fueling genocidal violence online, such as in the cases of Myanmar and Ethiopia.’

The failure to effectively address hate speech
and incitement not only undermines the safety and well-being of the Palestinian people but also violates a company’s obligations under international law and human rights principles, said the statement.

As Palestinians in Gaza attempt to survive, the coalition felt it urgently important to remind social media companies of their legal and moral obligation to prioritize the protection of human rights and to take immediate and concrete steps to address and prevent the spread of harmful content, including hate speech and incitement, the statement concluded.

Source: Palestine news and Information Agency – WAFA